The 2011 Harvest and Canning Season Begins

The harvest and canning season is in full force on the CityFarm.  Take a look at what we have been working on.

Make sure to check the box on the right to see our harvest and canning numbers.

Egg Count for June

Below is the egg count for June....

142

It was larger than this but while on vacation our Chicken Babysitters were given them as our thanks for checking on them.

During the month we also lost one of our White Leghorns.  We are unaware of what happened to her but the rest of the flock is looking healthy and happy. 

We have been on vacation and are trying to get caught up with all that is going on in our City Farm.....including canning the harvest.  More info and photos will be coming in the next few days so stay posted!!!!

Help Support the CityFarm

Do you like what you see?  

Help support the growing CityFarm by purchasing items from Amazon thru our link on the right.  

Thanks in advance for all of your support!!!

A Picture Post from the CityFarm

Here are a few new pictures to show you what is growing currently on the CityFarm.

Raspberries are in bloom

 Peaches are growing strong.

 Peas starting to grow tall.  They got their first blooms 2 days ago.

 Potatoes have already been hilled and have gotten bigger again.

 Apples are looking gorgeous.

New chicks are getting big and now are in with the rest of the flock.

How is your garden growing?

Wasted Spaces and Edible Landscaping

So our goal is to work towards creating an all edible landscaping in our yard.  This will be a long process but we are making little steps.  Here you can see a picture of our new herb garden.

Our new herb garden includes the following:

• Horseradish
• Pineapple Sage
• Fennel
• Lavender
• Stevia Bush
• Chives
• Celeriac
• White Sage
• Rosemary
• Green Sage
• Sweet Marjoram
• St. Johnswart
• Chamomile
• Catnip
• Comfrey
• Lemon Balm

Although the bushes/plants look small right now they will grow and become a lush edible herb garden.  Stayed tuned to see update photos.

What are you doing to make use of wasted spaces and grow more of the things your family loves and needs?

The Harvest Begins

It is amazing that it is already the middle of June and our Harvesting has begun.  Although it is not a lot yet.....the season of canning and preserving has begun.  

Take a look at what we are harvesting right now.

May Egg Count

You can definitely tell that summer is on its way as the egg count is on it's way up.

Our total egg count for May

221

An Asparagus Adventure at Day Farms

There are so many amazing things located in your backyard if you are just looking.  Here is a farm I discovered while driving by this week.  It is called Day Farms and they offer some amazing produce.......and some that you get to pick yourself.  Here are a few pictures of my Asparagus Adventure.

Take advantage of these opportunities and produce that is located all around you.  By relying on local farmers we will not only enjoy amazing food but we will help our local economy. 

I will be posting pictures and a recipe about how I enjoyed this yummy asparagus :) 

If you are located in the Ogden/Layton area check out Day Farms at 2500 W. Gentile St.  and call 801-546-4316 to find out what they have to offer right now.

Front Yard Edible Landscaping

What does your front yard do for you?  Below is an amazing example on how useful and beautiful that yard could really be.  

This is what we are working on for the CityFarm.  Although it will take years to look anything like the video we will keep you updated on the progress.  Our new additions for this year:

• Horseradish
• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Apple Mint
• Stevia Sugar Bush
• St. Johnswort
• Pineapple Sage
• French Sorrell
• Basil
• Green Sage

Plus I am sure more to come!!!

Most of these are perennials which I believe is the key to real self reliance.  What would you do if the nursery and the seeds were all gone one day?

Another reason to grow a garden this year!

Have you been debating about growing a garden this year?  Take a look at the following video and it might help to make up your mind.

Alternative Fuel

Part of being prepared is alternative fuel.  How are you going to cook, heat your home or do anything else you need to do if the power is out or not an option.  This will be a several part blog series featuring options for alternative power sources.  First on the list is solar.  We will be reviewing solar cookers, solar panels (for the home and portable) and other things that will be a blessing on any sunny day.  Stay tuned for pictures and videos coming soon.......Plus product reviews!  Let me know of any other items you would like us to review in this alternative power series.

Getting Less and Paying More

Do you feel like every time you go to the grocery store you are paying more for less?  Well it is not just you who feels that way.  Take a look at the following CBS video below.  Take the time to read the fine print and clip the coupons the next time you go to the grocery store.....it can really make a difference!

Food Storage Recipe #3

Poppyseed Chicken

2-3 cans chicken breast or Thrive Freeze Dried Chicken, rehydrated

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups Thrive Sour Cream, made from powder and chilled

1/2 cup Thrive Butter, made from powder and chilled

2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

Grease casserole dish. Add chicken. Mix soup, sour cream, and poppy seeds together and pour over chicken. Slice butter into pats and lay on top. Crush crackers and sprinkle over butter and soup.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Natural Tilling and Bug Control --Plus Chicken Laws

Do you use a machine to till your garden?   

Or pesticides to kill unwanted pets?   

These are just a few advantages to having chickens.  They naturally till our garden and will eat any unwanted pests....ours especially love ants.....but some local governments want to control who can have these resourceful creatures.

Here are the laws for some areas in UT:


Brigham City, UT.  Definition of domesticated animal includes 'fowls'   Section 4:01.16  defines that the pets can be kept in humane enclosure not larger than 50 cubic feet.  It also states that 'household pets' will be no more than 6 birds. 
Ogden, UT.  It is unlawful for any person to keep any chickens, ducks, pigeons or other fowl in the City limits unless the same are at all times kept confined in proper pens or enclosures. All such pens or enclosures shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition and shall not be placed or maintained within 75 feet of any dwelling. 
Orem City, UT.  Limit of poultry/fowl: 20 on a lot under one acre, and must be kept 40 ft. from dwelling on same lot or 85 ft. from neighboring dwelling.  Currently you must have at least one acre of property to have any chickens at all, legally. 
Salt Lake City, UT.  You can keep up to 25 chickens (no reference to roosters) with a permit, and the coop must be placed 50 feet from nearby houses.


You can find out more about different cities/states at the following website:


http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/chickenlaws.html

As a City Council Member I know the importance of the opinion of the residents I serve.  If you don't like your city's current regulations contact your City and ask to speak at the next City Council Meeting.  Then go and start collecting support from others in your city that want the same right to become self sufficient.  Have them come to the meeting as well or collect signatures.  The more support you have the better the chance to get it changed.  Also contact the media.  City Chickens have been hot topics in our local news......put some pressure on your council by having the media present.  Plus you must remember to be persistent.  With most government issues it will most likely not change quickly but don't give up!!  Let me know how it is going in your area!


Below is a video of what you can run into when trying to find out about or change city regulations   :)

More new additions

Here is a picture of one of our 9 new additions to the CityFarm......Baby Bunnies!!!

We will keep you updated on the growth and changes of our 9 new friends :)

One of the inspirations for our CityFarm

This video documents the life and changes for one California family.  Hopefully we will soon be able to produce for our family the way this one does........

How are you changing your life to live more off the land?

April Egg Count

April Egg Count

159

How are your chickens doing???

Food Storage Recipe #2

Some food storage items really get a bad rap.  You can just say their name and people will shiver.  Spam is one of those items.  It seems to have a love or hate relationship with most people.  Even if you think you might not like Spam I encourage you to give it another try.  It is a great food storage item that will give you the added calories you will need in the event of an emergency.  Here is how our family enjoys them the most!

Scrambled Eggs Galore

1 doz eggs scrambled

1 can Spam - Diced

1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Onions

1/4 cup Thrive Bell Peppers

Garlic Salt - to taste

Mrs. Dash - to taste

Pepper - to taste

1 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese - Rehydrated

Combine the Spam, Onions, and Peppers in a pan with oil.  Heat throughly.  Then add the eggs and seasonings to taste.  Scramble all together and add the cheese right before serving.  Serve and enjoy.

I would love to know of any other recipes you enjoy that use food storage.  When a disaster hits is not the time you want to figure out how to cook with your food storage!

Sour Cream Powder

Get this and other great deals at

www.saralusk.shelfreliance.com

Life emerges again!

Can you correctly identify the pictures??


Although the weather can not decide if it is really Spring the plants have decided that it is time to wake up for the new year.  

Thought you might enjoy some pictures from our garden.

  More will be coming soon and our seedlings start to sprout.  So far we have already planted Peas, Potatoes, and Radishes.  What have you done to prepare your garden for the new year?

The Eggs are BACK!

Summer is on the way and our egg production shows the difference!  

Here is our Egg count for March:

165

Where do you get your food storage?

Are you looking for high quality food storage?  

Take a look at my website to find some of the best food storage I have ever used.  I will be using it in all of my recipes that will be coming in the next 3 months while I challenge myself to create an amazing food storage cookbook that I can use everyday.  I will be sharing these recipes so check back often.  Below you can find my Food Storage Recipe #1.

No matter if you want to spend $5 or $5000 on your food storage let me help you get what you need.  Many amazing programs....including a way to get yours for free.  Contact me with questions!

www.saralusk.shelfreliance.com

Food Storage Recipe #1

Chicken Tortellini Soup

1 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Chicken - Rehydrated

1/4 cup Thrive Celery

2 Tablespoons Thrive Onions

2 1/2 cups Water

8 cups Thrive Chicken Broth

1/2 teaspoon Celery Seed

1/2 teaspoon Basil

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon Salt

15 oz. Dried Tortellini

Bring the water and chicken broth to a boil.  Add spiced.  Add chicken.  Add celery and onions.  Return to a boil and then add tortellini.

Boil 10-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente.  Serve and enjoy!

I would eat this every night and never know that is it completely made from food storage.  Let me know what you and your family thinks!

A 3 Month Challenge

Have you ever wondered what it would really take to live off your food storage?  

Well my family is going to put it to the test.  We are going to live April-June without going to the grocery store.  I will be recording our meals.  What we haven't stored enough of and what we really didn't need to store.  I hope that this helps take the mystery out of food storage.  

So here are the details:

April-June -- No Grocery Shopping
The Family -- 2 adults
                       4 kids - 13, 10, 8, and 4 months
The Pets --  11 Chickens
                    3 Cats
                    2 Bunnies
Exceptions --  

1. We will enjoy produce from our garden and from the farmers market because that will still be available even in an emergency situation
2. We will also barter for items needed from things we can produce (eggs, etc.)
3. We will also continue to have a budget for dining out for date nights.....those are really important!  :)

So here we go on this amazing adventure......I would love any comments or questions.

February Egg Count

Total Egg Count for February

92

New additions to our "CityFarm"

We have given a new home to two friends of the CityFarm......Romeo and Juliet.

These two Rex Rabbits had no home so we gladly adopted them.  Now they are enjoying their time here and getting to know their new friends :)

More pictures and details will be coming soon.

Home Grown Egg vs Store Bought Egg

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a store bought egg and a home grown egg?  Well now you can see the difference.

You can notice that the home grown egg has a orange yolk due to the variety of things a "free range" chicken eats.  This is only one of the many differences you will find between the two eggs.  I encourage all of you to do this experiment as well.....you will be shocked to see the results in person.

Special Deal for Valentines Day

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Because it is the day of love I wanted to share with you a special way to share your love with family and save money while doing it!  Get some family pictures!!!!

I found an amazing photographer who is offering an amazing special for this month only!!!  When you call him to book your photo session you will receive 50% off your sitting fee and ALL prints!  

I just had him photograph my family and the results were beyond any expectation!  I now have beautiful photos to remember my special day and how my children looked for a lifetime.  I have already booked another session because I was so happy!!!!

Call Troy Garlick today at 801-209-3907 or info@garlickphoto.com.  You can also check out his website at www.garlickphoto.com.  Remember you only have until the end of February to book your session and take advantage of this special deal.  Also....don't forget to use coupon code: 02lusk2011

14 Food Facts about 2011 that will scare you!

#1 According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. corn reserves will dropto a 15 year lowby the end of 2011.

#2 The United Nations says that the global price of food hit another new all-time high in the month of January.

#3 The price of corn has doubled in the past six months.

#4 The price of wheat has roughly doubled since the middle of 2010.

#5 According to Forbes, the price of soybeans is up about 50% since last June.

#6 The United Nations is projecting that the global price of food will increase by another 30 percent by the end of 2011.

#7 Due to all of the unprecedented flooding, the winter wheat crop in Australiahas been absolutely devastated.

#8 This winter Brazil was hit by some of the worst flooding that nation has ever seen.  This has substantially hampered food production in that country.

#9 Russia, one of the largest wheat producers on the entire globe, is still feeling the effects of last summer’s scorching temperatures.  In fact, Russia is actually importing wheat this winter to sustain its cattle herds.

#10 China is busy preparing for a “severe, long-lasting drought” that is projected to have a huge impact on several provinces.  In fact, Chinese state media says that the eastern province of Shandong is dealing with the worst drought it has seen in 200 years.  The provinces being affected by this severe drought grow approximately two-thirds of the wheat in China.

#11 It appears that Chinese imports of corn will be about 9 times larger than the U.S. Department of Agriculture originally projected them to be for 2011.

#12 Approximately 1 billion people around the world go to bed hungry each night.

#13 Somewhere in the world someone starves to death every 3.6 seconds, and 75 percent of those are children under the age of five.

#14 As food has become increasingly scarce around the world, many companies have started using whatever kinds of “fillers” that they can think of in their “food” products.  For example, Raw Story is reporting that some companies in China have actually been mass producing “fake rice” that is made partly of plastic.  According to one Chinese Restaurant Association official, eating three bowls of this fake rice is the equivalent of consuming an entire plastic bag.

Let us pray that this is not the beginning of a major global food crisis, because hunger and starvation are horrible things.

Starving to death is a fate that nobody should ever have to go through.

So, let us hope for the best, but let us also prepare as if we will be facing the worst.

(reference from www.prisonplanet.com)

China Bracing for Severe Drought

Saving Money

Part of being self sufficient is saving money when and where you can....so I will be featuring deals of the month.

  

These are special savings that you can receive from companies just for being a follower of CityFarmin!!  

I will post as many deals as I can every month 

so make sure to check back soon!

January Egg Count

The tally begins again for 2011

Our total egg count for January is:

145